Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Utah Democratic delegates say they're united for Sen. Barack Obama. That's either because of or in spite of the party's overall liberal agenda.
Already, Democrats speaking on the podium have taken a strong stand on wedge issues, including abortion and gay rights. These are issues on which Utah delegates still have differences, in spite of being unified for their candidate.
From the podium at the convention a challenge has been issued to change the Republican status quo, and everyone from Hillary Clinton to Michelle Obama has called for change to defend hot button issues like abortion and gay rights. Michelle Obama said, "Discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the promise of equality."
At Utah's delegation breakfast everyone seemed to be on the same page in supporting the Obama-Biden ticket, but that doesn't mean they're going to agree 100 percent with every single issue the candidates take on.
Sen. Pat Jones from Holladay, a Democratic delegate, said, "You see a lot of diversity within the Democratic party, both in Utah and nationally. And that certainly squares with what I believe."
Brian Spittler proudly wears buttons that say LDS and BYU for Obama. He's well aware that many of his fellow Latter-day Saints and college classmates reject Democrats, at least partly because of hot-button social issues. But even during the ear-splitting and rousing convention speeches, Spittler is thoughtful. Rather than reacting with emotion to wedge issues, he says he looks for common ground. He believes Obama does the same.
"These issues are important. It's also important to keep a good perspective, understand that there is more going on than these wedge issues. And, unfortunately, they have been used as a political tool," Spittler said.
There are still voters who decide on a candidate based on one or two wedge issues, but this year we're hearing people talk about other things, too.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
